Yellow Jackets Avoid Sweep with Series Finale Win

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team lost their non-conference matchup with Howard Payne University on Sunday.  They fall to 6-7 on the year, but have won two straight series.

Dallas 12, Howard Payne 17

WP: Harlee Biggs (1-1)

LP: Max Costello (0-1)

Things could not have started much better for the Crusaders. After giving up a run in the first inning, the Crusaders tore the cover off the ball for two innings, scoring 10 runs on nine hits to take a big lead.  A couple of defensive miscues and a couple of timely hits saw the Yellow Jackets answer back with four runs in the third.

Things quieted down for awhile after that, with Dallas still feeling firmly in control.  Baserunners were not particularly plentiful for either team for the next five innings, but the Crusaders took advantage of a free pass in the fifth, Tyler Darnell singling in Mike Andersen, Andersen having just stolen second.  

With a six run lead going into the ninth, the game felt done and dusted for Dallas.  But a calamitous ninth inning that saw the Crusaders issue four walks, hit two batters, and commit two errors.  The Yellow Jackets came back and then some, piling on 12 runs to take a six run lead, eight of those runs being unearned.  The Crusaders had the makings of a late rally themselves in the bottom of the ninth, but could not answer back with a big inning of their own.  Howard Payne avoided the series sweep, completing the comeback to win 17-12.

Six Crusaders had multiple hits in the game.  Jon Talley, David Saldana, Cade Corbett, and Mavrick Martinez all had extra-base hits, Martinez notching two doubles.  Saldana had two RBI, as did Anthony Maldonado, and Andrew Gaspar led the team with three RBI.  

Dallas stole six bases in the game, Talley and Maldonado each with two.

Graeme Williams threw four innings of shutout ball in relief, allowing three hits and striking out two.

Up Next

The Crusaders have one more non-conference tune-up.  They will host Hardin-Simmons for a single game on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.